Porta Potty Rental for Backyard and Private Parties

Why rent a porta potty for a party at home?

A house is built for the people who live in it. Sixty guests over six hours is a different load. There are two practical reasons people call us.

Your septic system. Some homes on larger lots in this area are on septic, not sewer. A septic tank and leach field are sized for the household's daily use, and a party sends far more water through in a few hours. If your tank is due for pumping, or it has been slow before, a portable toilet costs much less than a backup in the middle of a graduation party.

Your house. Without an outdoor restroom, every guest walks through the kitchen and down the hall, often with a drink, sometimes in wet swimwear. A unit outside lets you keep the house closed, or open only for family.

If you are on sewer, have two or three bathrooms near the yard and are expecting 25 people, you probably do not need us.

How many units does a home party need?

Published charts do not cover small parties well. The industry's standard event chart starts at a crowd of 500, where it calls for 5 units over four hours (PSAI). A wedding planner quoted by The Knot suggests a much more generous one stall per 25 guests (The Knot). A backyard party sits between the two. These are our starting counts when the house restrooms are closed to guests:

Adjust for your party:

• Beer, wine or a bar. PSAI says to add 10 to 20% when alcohol is served. On a small order that means rounding up to the next unit.
• A bathroom you are leaving open. If one house bathroom stays available, the lower count is usually fine.
• Elderly guests or wheelchair users. Make one of the units an ADA-accessible unit. It has a ground-level entry and room for a helper or a parent with a small child.
• Food. Add a hand-wash station if you are serving a buffet, tacos or barbecue.

For anything larger, use the porta potty calculator.

Driveway or side yard?

A few rules apply wherever the unit goes:

• Pick level ground, out of low spots and away from the gutter and storm drains.
• Put it downwind of the tables and not beside the food.
• Shade helps in summer.
• If the party runs after dark, put it near a porch light or hang a battery light inside.

For a one-weekend rental we do not need to reach the unit with a pump truck in between, so a side-yard spot that would not suit a long-term rental can work for a party. Send a photo of the gate and the path and we will tell you if it fits.

What about the HOA and the neighbours?

Many local neighbourhoods have homeowner associations, and Canyon Lake has its own property owners association. Whether a portable toilet may sit in a driveway for a weekend is a matter for each association's CC&Rs. Three steps avoid most problems:

1. Read the rules or email the management company a week or two ahead.
2. In a gated community, tell the gate our company name and delivery day so the truck is let in.
3. Place the unit where it is least visible from the street, and tell us the earliest and latest times delivery trucks are allowed.

For neighbours, keep the unit away from the shared fence line and their windows, and let them know it leaves on Monday.

When is it delivered and picked up?

We deliver the day before or the morning of your event and pick up afterward or the next day, depending on the schedule. We are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, so if you need the driveway clear sooner, ask about a Sunday pickup.

Book a week or more ahead when you can. Spring and fall weekends fill first. We take short-notice orders whenever units are available. Graduation weekends in late May and June and the December holidays book up too, so call as soon as you have a date.

When you call, have these ready:

1. The address and the date and hours of the party.
2. The guest count and whether you are serving alcohol.
3. Where the unit will sit, and the gate width if it is going through one.
4. Any gate code, HOA delivery hours or parking limits.

Do I need a permit for a party at home?

Usually not, if the party is a private, non-commercial gathering on your own property and everything stays off the street.

In unincorporated Riverside County, which includes French Valley, Winchester, Lakeland Village and most of wine country, the temporary event rules exempt weddings, birthdays and similar events at a dwelling with up to 100 attendees, with no more than four such events per lot in 12 months (Riverside County Code Ch. 17.256, as adopted in Ordinance No. 348.4966). Exempt events still have to follow other health and safety rules, which includes noise. Above 100 guests at a home, expect to need a county temporary event permit, filed at least 60 days ahead, or 90 days for more than 300 attendees a day.

Inside a city, the city's own rules apply. City special event permits are aimed at public events and events on city property, not a birthday in a back yard. Call your city's planning counter if you expect a large crowd or amplified music.

We know of no local rule that requires a separate permit for a portable toilet on private property for a weekend. If you are unsure, ask your city or the county.

What does it cost?

Party rentals are priced per event or weekend, by the number and type of units. Event rentals start at $189 per unit. Delivery and pickup is a fee. We do not add fuel or environmental surcharges. See pricing for the details. If a unit is tipped over or damaged, call us and we will reset, clean or replace it. The renter is responsible for damage beyond normal wear, and a service fee may apply.

What kinds of parties do you supply?

• Graduations. Late May and June, often an open house with guests coming and going all afternoon.
• Quinceañeras. Large family guest lists, a long evening with dinner and dancing, often a tent or a rented yard. Plan toward the higher count.
• Milestone birthdays and anniversaries. One unit is usually enough for under 50 guests.
• Backyard wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners. See our wedding page for restroom trailers and ways to dress up standard units.
• Memorials and celebrations of life. Often arranged on short notice. Consider an accessible unit for older guests.
• Holiday parties. Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year gatherings.
• Pool parties. A unit by the side gate keeps wet feet out of the house.

Private party FAQ

Can I rent just one porta potty for one day? Yes. Most party orders are one or two units.

Is there a sink inside? Standard units do not have running water. Add a hand-wash station for soap and water.

Can it go on the lawn? Yes, if the ground is firm and level. Turn the sprinklers off for the weekend.

Which areas do you deliver to? We deliver from Murrieta to Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, French Valley and Winchester, and more. See the full list of service areas, or go back to all event rentals.

Book a unit for your party

Call (951) 517-3600 or fill in the form with your date, address, guest count and where the unit will sit. We will confirm the count, the delivery day and the full price.